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NEWSLETTER Front C. Deano (left) and friends – all eager for happy new homes Page 1 The President's Letter Page 2 Fundraising Events: Yard Sale and Dog Walking Page 3 Looking for New Homes Page 4 Happy Tails: Tizzy-Dawn Page 5 Grateful Thanks; The Ark Merchandise Page 6 New Members; Figures; Book Sale; Useful Numbers; Donations

THE ARK Animal Welfare Society, Barbados

Registered Charity No. 428

Dear Ark Members,

The year 2017 is flying by and we are already nearly into the last quarter. Apologies for sounding like a broken record but 2017 has not brought any improvement in the calls for our help as we continue to experience the abandonment of animals at a frightening rate. Unfortunately, some pet owners do not realise the harsh reality of Barbados 2017. They continue to breed their dogs, seemingly unaware that to care for puppies properly costs money – and there is no guarantee of finding homes for them, far less good homes. We recently had a distress call from one of the veterinary practices regarding two puppies which had been given up to be euthanized. Neither they nor The Ark could bear the thought of this action so we agreed to take the pups – only to be faced with two cases of parvo. We were lucky that this dreaded virus was caught in time; the pups were treated by the clinic, survived and we found loving homes for them. What can be especially difficult to cope with are the phone calls which begin with an owner wanting to give up an older dog in favour of keeping one of its puppies. It takes a huge amount of time and patience to deal with these calls. However, we are grateful that they at least contact us rather than just abandon the dog and so we have to suppress our desire to say: A DOG IS A PART OF YOUR FAMILY: WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ABANDONED BY YOUR FAMILY WHEN YOU GET OLDER? The fact that you are an Ark member indicates that you are amongst the responsible pet owners of Barbados. We need more like you and the only way we are going to get that is to educate and spread the word about responsible pet ownership. We can all play a part: encourage people who are struggling to use cell phones a little less, go to one fete less, reduce ‘wants’ just a little bit and therefore, have enough money to KEEP THEIR PETS. We can all encourage our families, friends and neighbours to SPAY AND NEUTER THEIR DOGS AND CATS. We can offer help with transport if they do not have any. There are organizations that will help with the cost of the spay and neuter operations if necessary. COME ON PEOPLE: LET’S SPREAD THE WORD AND GET SERIOUS ABOUT CARING FOR OUR PETS IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER! JUMP IN and be a part of the solution! The animals of Barbados need YOU. I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Mrs. Elizabeth Cole for their tragic loss. Our best wishes go to Mr. Stuart Martin for a speedy recovery from major surgery. Sincerely,

Bob Parravicino President

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

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We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who made our yard sale on 22nd July such a tremendous success. Special thanks to Fiona Kinch and Anne Marie Bourne of Peronne Trading for providing us with space to make this event possible. Of course we wouldn’t have been able to have a sale without the many donations we received and the enthusiastic buyers on the day of the sale. Neither could we have managed without the large team of volunteers who gave of their time so willingly. Thank you to all. Candy (right) would like to say a big thank you to the kind and caring person who found her with her leg tied to a fence with a piece of wire. She is gaining weight and coming along nicely while awaiting her forever home. Please make a note of our next sale which will be at the Clock Tower at The Garrison on Saturday November 25th, 2017. This will be in time for Christmas and we’ll have a good selection of Christmas items as well as our usual variety of clothes, toys and household items. We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any quality, nearly new, items you would like to donate, please contact Jo Gamblin on 428 1803 or email us at ark@caribsurf.com.

On Sunday 23rd April an intrepid group of people and their dogs got together for a sponsored walk around The Vaucluse Race Track in St. Thomas. The event was organised by The Barbados Dog Training Club to raise funds for The Ark and was a huge success. We had dogs of all shapes and sizes from a Great Dane to Jack Russells and everything in between. We were delighted to see Kirby and Gizzy, two ex-shelter dogs who came along with their new owners. It’s always lovely to meet up with our past Ark residents and we were delighted to see how well they were looking and how much they enjoyed the walk. We would like to extend a huge thank you to June Ray and The Barbados Dog Training Club for organising this very enjoyable event. Thank you also goes to all who took part and raised the magnificent sum of $595 for The Ark. Dogs of all shapes and sizes had a great time More happy walkers!

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Walking the Dog in Aid of The Ark

Yard Sales

Patch

Disney

Brice

Morris

LOOKING FOR NEW HOMES

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3 If you’d like to give a home to any of our animals, please call: 435-4108 or email: ark@caribsurf.com You can also visit our kennels at Sugarland Farm in St George, please call us to make an appointment.

Male | Size: Very Small | DOB: January 2015 (approx.) ____________________________________________________________________________ Patch is such a lover boy who wishes nothing more than to be around us humans. He also enjoys his playtime with other dogs, though he does tend to prefer the opposite sex. Although small, Patch has a big personality and with this in mind we think he would suit a home with a passive female dog. Alternatively, he would also enjoy being in a home where he is the only dog and able to receive all the attention and love he craves. Patch is great with children of all ages, very alert and super smart – certainly a big personality in a small package!

Female | Size: Small-Medium | DOB: March 2017 (approx.) ____________________________________________________________________________ Disney came to us in a sorry state with little fur and in need of medical attention. After a month in the care of her wonderful foster mum, you can see from the photo that she has made an amazing transformation. Disney is now a happy, healthy 6 month old puppy who is ready for her forever home. Like all puppies, Disney is very playful and has the sweetest, gentlest and most loving disposition. She is used to being around young children and is already house-trained - a huge bonus! If you are looking for a puppy to join your family, Disney is perfect.

Male | Size: Small-Medium | DOB: January 2016 (approx.) ____________________________________________________________________________ Our darling Brice, besides being ever so cute, is super smart, very playful and loves to play fetch. Brice was found a while back in a residential neighbourhood and believed to have been “dropped off”. Thankfully he was fed and watered until we were able to bring him in. Brice loves company, he interacts on a daily basis with over 12 dogs and ideally should be adopted to a home with at least one other dog. Brice is a happy friendly chap, used to young children, and for sure will make a wonderful addition to any family home.

Male | Size: Small | DOB: January 2017 (approx.) ____________________________________________________________________________

We would like to introduce you to Morris who is a super-cool young boy with great looks and personality. He is an affectionate dog who loves nothing more than a cuddle. Morris gets on well with other dogs and enjoys the company of children. He will do well where he can be part of a family and be allowed indoors to spend time as a true companion. Morris came to The Ark with his sister who has since found a wonderful home and we’re hoping it won’t be long before he will also find a family to love.

My children and I have an inherent love for animals, especially dogs. I come from a family of animal lovers, having been surrounded by rescued dogs and cats from the time I was a little girl; I was also a former volunteer at another animal shelter back in 2004. From the time my son said that he wanted to volunteer at the Ark for his school’s community project, I knew I was going to walk away with another fur baby. My son, Aundré, and I started volunteering at the Ark on July 1, 2017 and, two weeks after starting, my intuition became a reality when we adopted Dawn, who we renamed “Tizzy-Dawn”.

My husband, Michael, is completely obsessed with cleaning our yard. Consequently, the job of cleaning up after our dogs is almost always undertaken by him. I’m the type who would spend the entire day with my dogs on the couch watching television and he is the type who would ensure that every hair is cleaned up once we move off of the couch. An ideal situation, if you ask me! As a result, it took some time for my son and I to convince him to allow us to adopt another dog. When he finally caved, he insisted that we adopt another small dog since big dogs meant big mess. He also specified his preference for a less fluffy dog than the other two we had adopted. I was drawn to Tizzy because she was always so eager to be walked, always playfully jumping clear off the floor in anticipation of getting out of her quarters. She also had this gentleness about her which was important to me since we have a two-year-old daughter and I wanted them to grow up together. I was also drawn to Tizzy-Dawn because she looked so much like “Sandy”, my aunt’s little dog. Sandy was my little protector when I was a toddler, snarling at anyone who approached my playpen.

We were able to take Tizzy home that same day since we were already familiar with her and we had met all the requirements for her to live a chain free life in a relatively large yard. When we brought Tizzy home, she was a bit timid among the other dogs at first, but after some friendly “sniffing” and some playful “foot nibbling” it was as if she had been a part of the family for years. Tizzy raced into the hearts of each member of our family; she loves to get her tummy rubbed and she loves to burrow her little face into the creases of your arm whenever she is lying on your lap. She is still a little shy around people who come to visit, but once she is approached with a friendly hand she eventually gets over her shyness. Tizzy also loves to take me (notice I said she takes me) for walks around the neighbourhood which works out really great for me on the days I decide to skip the gym. She is amazingly gentle with my two-year-old whom she watches with great curiosity; she loves my son and she has formed an ever-lasting bond with the other dogs. Tizzy also eats like a horse and runs like one as well and she can jump clear over a chair with such skilful agility – sometimes I wonder if she was meant to be a cat. Things can get pretty interesting around lunch time when it takes me well over five minutes to walk from the back door to put down their food and refill their water bowl. It’s almost as if I am in a video game just trying to avoid tripping over these fur babies playfully rolling in front of my feet as I walk. My only other challenge is stopping myself from adopting another dog. My husband keeps me on a short leash when it comes to adopting dogs because he knows that it would mean more work for him. If I could adopt ten more, I would. If I could give them all a home, I would. Tizzy is a happy, playful and loving dog. We can only thank the Ark for giving us the opportunity to be able to take this wonderful dog into our home and making her a big part of our family.

Written by Renee Edwards

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Happy Tails - Tizzy-Dawn

Tizzy-Dawn

Renee, Aundré and Tizzy-Dawn

Newsletter SEPTEMBER 2017

K9 Friends - Barbados who immediately responded to our recent call for help when we were stretched to meet our food needs. Without hesitation they made a generous deposit to our pet-food account. Debra Nascimento for fostering Deano. Alison Martin for fostering Scooter. Caroline Bissada for fostering Disney/Daisy. The Peter Moores Trust for a generous financial donation. Lauren McHugh for her frequent help with transport. The Atlantis Hotel which for many years has made an annual donation to The Ark from their $1/head scheme.

Sandhole Vets in UK for their “plus one promise” where for every kitten and puppy pack sold, a toy is donated. The Ark was lucky enough to be a recipient and we thank Alexa Greaves for recommending us and bringing the toys over. Pedro, our little JRT, and volunteer Josh, show the variety of toys donated (photo above). Gracie Foster for always thinking of us and for her donation made by selling delicious shortbread cookies. Pan Atlantic Bank and Trust Limited for their generous monetary donation. Mrs. Valerie Dash who generously gives us all of the profits from selling the beautiful jewellery she makes. 2nd Encore Boutique in Worthing, Christchurch, who donate the clothes that they don't sell to our Yard Sales. The students of Codrington International School who chose The Ark to receive donations totalling $556.00 from their Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation/FLOW $20 Challenge Competition. Mr. and Mrs. Poutney who generously donated £2000 from the Francis and Eric Ford Charity Trust in UK.

Grateful Thanks Our beautiful 2018 calendar is now available with all the proceeds going towards the Shelter. The theme of the calendar is “Rescued is my Favourite Breed” and it features beautiful photographs of some of our dogs happy in their new homes. We’ll be sending an email to let you know where you can buy the calendars. Alternatively, you can place an order by email at ark@caribsurf.com or send us a cheque and we’ll post one out to you. Each calendar costs $20 (with an additional $2.60 for postage).

Our "I Love Bajan Dogs" canvas shopping bags have been selling extremely well; of the original 500 we had made, we have only 113 left. If you haven't bought one yet, perhaps now is the time to make sure you don't miss out. They are $25 each or $20 each when you buy two or more! The bags are available at our monthly book sales, Central Veterinary Clinic, The Veterinary Clinic (Dr. Storey’s), Brighton Farmers Market , The Ark shelter, or by emailing us at ark@caribsurf.com .

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The Ark Merchandise

We are delighted that 48 dogs and 1 cat have found new loving homes between 1st April and 31st August 2017. This brings the totals for the year so far to 76 dogs and 1 cat. If you are interested in having a cat or dog join your family please contact us at 435-4108 or you can email us at ark@caribsurf.com. Some of the dogs in our care looking for homes can be seen on our website: www.arkanimalwelfarebarbados.com or search for us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. All animals re-homed as part of this program cannot be kept in kennels or chained for long periods of time, as this is against the law. We require that all properties are fully enclosed to provide a safe environment for the animal; while also ensuring they do not become a nuisance in the area.

Welcome to Patricia GRELL, Renee KOWLESSAR, Valerie MARTIN, A.WELLS MARTIN, James NIBLOCK, and to Junior member Joshua KENT. We thank Chris REID, David MACKENZIE and Sian PAMPELLONNE for becoming Life Members.

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The Ark has spayed/neutered 48 dogs and 23 cats between 1st March and 31st August 2017. This brings our totals for the year to 58 dogs and 47 cats. The Ark is channelling some of our spay/neuter requests to The RSPCA and we thank them for all the procedures they do for us. If you are interested in having your dog or cat spayed or neutered, please call us at 435-4108 or contact the RSPCA directly (Tel: 426-3077). If you need help with transporting your animal, contact Sean at Pet Transportation Inc on Tel: 243-0420.

Spay & Neuter Programme

Adoption Programme

If you, or someone you know, would like to help a dog in our care but cannot offer it a home, why not consider sponsorship? We have a few dogs who are hard to re-home and they would love to have a relationship with someone who has a particular interest in them. If you are interested in Sponsorship, please contact Dominique on 435-6844. Thank you to the following people who are currently sponsoring dogs: Anonymous : Nina Anonymous : Diva Fiona Watson : Oscar Sonia Bryant : Tommy Angela Mcgeoch : Lucy Chrissy Blagrove : Brice Marianne Theeboom:Brock Gill Croney : Hazel & Wendy Anita Caito & Emerson Reid : Patch Ueli Zahler & Judith Binter : Shiloh & Shadow Alison Long, Lorraine Fox & Lydia Pauls : Misty

Sponsor a Dog

Monthly Book Sale

Lost and Found Pets Barbados, a group on Facebook where you can post info on lost/found animals. Pet Patrol: The Sanitation Service Authority will remove dead animals: 426-4625 or 430 5019. Turtle Hotline: If turtle tracks or activity are seen, please call the TURTLE HOTLINE at 230-0142 to make a report.

Our monthly book sale is held on the first Tuesday of each month at the Massy Supermarket Rendezvous. It takes place from 9am – 5pm. If you are looking for good books at great prices, come along and check it out. If you have books in good condition that you would like to donate, please contact: Jo Gamblin 428-1803 or email ark@caribsurf.com.

The ARK: 435-4108

Our phones are not manned 24 hours a day. In animal emergencies please contact your local vet.

SALE DATES Tues. 3rd October Tues. 7th November Tues. 5th December

Always Welcome: Nexgard tablets; Tac-Tic; Cleaning supplies eg. bleach, soap liquid etc; Bags of Dog and Cat Chow for donation to needy families who are finding it difficult to feed their pets.

Shelter Donations

Welcome New Members

From: The Ark Animal Welfare Society, Barbados Registered Charity No. 428 | Member Society WSPA P.O. Box 199W, Christ Church, Barbados Tel: (246) 435-4108, Email: ark@caribsurf.com www.arkanimalwelfarebarbados.com

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ARK: The ethical treatment of animals is an idea whose time has come. I support the efforts of The ARK, and I want to become a member. I enclose a cheque for $___________. I will receive newsletters each year and a notice to attend the Annual General Meeting. Name ______________________________Tel: ____________________ Email ________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________ Signature ___________________ Please indicate whether you wish to receive newsletters by post (_____) or email (_____) Minimum Annual Donation: $30, Life Membership: $500, Under 18 years: $20 or Overseas Membership: U.S.$30 Please make cheques payable to: THE ARK ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY. Mail To: The Ark, P.O. Box 199W, Christ Church

To raise awareness of the needs of animals. To protect them and promote their well-being by encouraging, through education, positive relationships between animals and people.

MISSION STATEMENT

President: Mr. Bob Parravicino 429-0347 Vice President: Mrs. Elizabeth Cole 438-6898/232-9706 Honorary Secretary: Mrs. Jo Gamblin 428-1803 Treasurer: Mrs. Jennifer Pequeneza 228-1677 Miss Dominique Maraj 435-6844 Mr. Stuart Martin 428-4266 Ms. Isolde Pottkamper 420-2310 Mrs Donna Murray-Wiltshire 228-2233 Mr. Lalu Hanuman 420-2022 Mrs. Sandie Martin (Books) 428-4266 Ms. Michele Morland (Newsletter) - Trustees: Mr. C. Brian Barnes, Mr. Bob Parravicino, Mr. Stephen Walcott

Executive Committee

Committee Members

Ex-Officio Members